Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz helped Pakistan pull off a nervy chase against Sri Lanka en route to a five-wicket victory that kept alive their hopes of reaching the final of the Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Beaten by arch-rivals India in their previous Super Fours contest, Pakistan made heavy weather of a victory target of 134.
Talat (32) and Nawaz (38) forged an unbeaten 58-run stand for the sixth wicket to secure their victory with two overs to spare.
Put in to bat, Sri Lanka earlier posted a modest 133-8 riding Kamindu Mendis’s gutsy 50 after a top-order meltdown.
Pakistan reduced Sri Lanka to 80-6 inside the 13th over vindicating skipper Salman Agha’s decision to field after winning the toss.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi (3-28) gave them a dream start dismissing Sri Lanka openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka in successive overs.
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka (20) and Kusal Perera (15) staged a brief recovery but Pakistan kept chipping away with regular wickets.
Kamindu had to curb his aggression as he brought up his fifty before falling lbw to Afridi.
Pakistan raced to 45 for no loss before Sri Lanka struck through their spinners.
Maheesh Theekshana dragged Sri Lanka back into the contest dismissing both openers — Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman — in the sixth over.
Saim Ayub made two, avoiding a fourth duck in five innings, before losing his off-stump to Wanindu Hasaranga, who removed rival captain Salman in his next over to reduce Pakistan to 57-4.
Talat and Nawaz, however, played sensibly to take Pakistan closer to the target.
With victory in sight, Nawaz hit Dushmantha Chameera for three sixes in the 18th over of the Pakistan innings, the last of which sealed their victory.
Bangladesh, who beat Sri Lanka in their first Super Fours match, take on defending champions India on Wednesday.
-REUTERS